Pre-Trip 2 Broke Guys (now with Table of Contents!)

Tony the Tigger · Mar 10, 2017

This is the only pic I took inside of Tiffins (apparently inspiration for the tree of life.)

And this used to be a full bag of chocolate given to me by our server as we were leaving. This was surprisingly delicious - as you can see LOL. The taste reminded me of Turkish delight, but it's flat and a darker chocolate which makes me think maybe there's some kind of raspberry flavoring in there?.

No, Kylie, chocolate is not good for you, nor is it for your diabetic daddy. That's why I have to force myself to finish it "against my will" strictly for the benefit of you two.

Speaking of the Tree of Life, we managed to catch a glimpse of the awakening on the way from Rivers to Tiffins. We were slightly in a hurry, and it seemed like a long wait in between things moving, so we saw three things move and continued on our way. Cool, but meh. Maybe it gets better after that part, I don't know LOL.

After dinner, the park was deserted, and apparently it had rained a bit. Actually, it was still raining lightly. We quickly made our way to the tram and it quickly pulled away as we arrived. Another couple shouted to the man in back and he shouted back, "be right back!"

That was not entirely accurate. So we stood there in the rain while the tram made the loop all around the AK lot. Seriously, they could have waited four seconds for us to board under the circumstances!

And we had to get Kylie by 10 PM before they closed. We arrived at 9:58 PM.

A good night's sleep was had by all - except me – LOL, and now we are all caught up!

Tuvalu · Mar 10, 2017

I'll be trying Tiffins with my mom in May. Neither of us are particularly adventurous when it comes to food, so we'll see how it goes!

Tony the Tigger · Mar 10, 2017

Tuvalu said:
I'll be trying Tiffins with my mom in May. Neither of us are particularly adventurous when it comes to food, so we'll see how it goes!

In that case, you can't go wrong with the chicken or the pork. And probably the beef, which is what I want to try next.

Tuvalu · Mar 10, 2017

Tony the Tigger said:
In that case, you can't go wrong with the chicken or the pork. And probably the beef, which is what I want to try next.

I was thinking of the beef. :hungry:

Tony the Tigger · Mar 10, 2017

Tuvalu said:
I was thinking of the beef.

I'd say I'll save you a piece in a few weeks, but I don't like to overpromise.

MySmallWorldof4 · Mar 11, 2017

Tony the Tigger said:
I honestly can't think of any other reservations to make. I think we still want some of our typical "wing it" element, especially since we know friends will be in the parks I think from the fifth to the sixth or seventh. I have to read back on my own trip report to check that LOL.

We are usually very good with last minute dining. But the tea was important and V&A is even more so.

I should try to pick something nice for the night of the eighth but again, our favorites are not hard to get. Plus I never heard back to find out if I can cancel the butler dinner. I should call her today. She may call me back in a few days LOL.

Not sleeping is a regular battle for me - I get it and I feel ya!

My one and only perfect kitty "baby" would pee on my suitcase whenever I took it out to pack. I had to buy one of the hard plastic-y ones and keep it closed on the bed. She'll be gone 10 years just a few weeks after this special anniversary - mind blown. I still use that luggage lol.

Sneak preview (the dull pic.)
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Tony the Tigger said:
My one and only perfect kitty "baby" would pee on my suitcase whenever I took it out to pack. I had to buy one of the hard plastic-y ones and keep it closed on the bed.

Well, $160 later the vet confirmed what I knew to be true. A bladder infection.

Have to give him sntibiotics twice a day.

A very angry kitty he is because he had to stay at the vet all day so they could collect pee. Now my DH and I are sporting some nice scratches on our hands. :arghh:

MinnieM123 · Mar 11, 2017

MySmallWorldof4 said:
Well, $160 later the vet confirmed what I knew to be true. A bladder infection. Have to give him sntibiotics twice a day. A very angry kitty he is because he had to stay at the vet all day so they could collect pee. Now my DH and I are sporting some nice scratches on our hands.

Ugh! Sorry to hear about your cat's medical issue, and maybe wear gloves when giving him his meds, to avoid scratches?

MinnieM123 · Mar 11, 2017

Your meal at Tiffins sounded awesome, and glad to hear that you both enjoyed it. I was surprised, however, that they did not offer any non-sugar desserts. Certainly in this day and age of people with various food allergies (or illnesses such as diabetes), I would think that every establishment would offer at least one option for those guests.

Regarding the candy, I know that look that Kylie had on her face (the exact same as my dog, when he wants some of my food) -- it's called, the "MINE" look . . .

Lastly, absolutely LOVED the ROL photos--the best I've seen so far. That looked like a great show. Sounds like they've worked out the initial kinks, as I recall a number of comments from guests who had seen the show when it first opened.

MySmallWorldof4 · Mar 11, 2017

Tony the Tigger said:
You know, when it goes, "Chakalaka, chakalaka, chakalaka Whoomp!") Yes. I did. Quietly, just to Brian.

MySmallWorldof4 · Mar 11, 2017

MinnieM123 said:
Ugh! Sorry to hear about your cat's medical issue, and maybe wear gloves when giving him his meds, to avoid scratches?

Just 12 doses left.

Tony the Tigger · Mar 11, 2017

MinnieM123 said:
Your meal at Tiffins sounded awesome, and glad to hear that you both enjoyed it. I was surprised, however, that they did not offer any non-sugar desserts. Certainly in this day and age of people with various food allergies (or illnesses such as diabetes), I would think that every establishment would offer at least one option for those guests.

Regarding the candy, I know that look that Kylie had on her face (the exact same as my dog, when he wants some of my food) -- it's called, the "MINE" look . . .

Lastly, absolutely LOVED the ROL photos--the best I've seen so far. That looked like a great show. Sounds like they've worked out the initial kinks, as I recall a number of comments from guests who had seen the show when it first opened.

I mean, it's Disney. I'm sure if we would have asked, the chef would have made something. (The go-to seems to be berries with freshly whipped cream.) And I'm sure if we had put that information on our reservation, they would've done something. We generally don't like to make a fuss. We also generally don't have a lot of dessert. So if there's already a no sugar added dessert on the menu that sounds good, we will usually order one and split it, or on rare occasions if I see something amazing – usually with banana – then I'll order that for myself and the NSA for Brian.

I will say we've found a bounty of special NSA desserts throughout WDW over the years, which I really appreciate. I make it a priority to seek them out here and elsewhere, because they're not always easy to find.

Being diabetic since he was 10 in the 80s, there were extremely few options. He is so sick of angel food cake LOL. So when I find things like the sugar-free Reese's peanut butter cups, it makes me very happy because I know it's something he thought he could never have and I know he really likes.

Of course, most of the sugar substitutes are not very healthy, but in moderation, they are what a dessert should be – a treat.

Tony the Tigger · Mar 12, 2017

Ugh - I hate the "last day lag" - after having kept up with the trip report on location, the drive home always makes me tired and I come home to a backlog of work. It's always a few days before I can get out the closing TR post(s)

Soon!

Tony the Tigger · Mar 12, 2017

OK maybe if I get some of this out-of-the-way, I can focus on work finally.

Friday started off a little sluggish. Brian got out of work a little later than expected, and I spent most of the morning on work, phone calls for work, computer work for work, etc., so I never did get to go inventory hunting. Plus all that time trying to book September things lol.

When Brian finally got back around 2:30 PM or so, we brought Kylie to BFPC. It was less crowded than the day before, and Brian did the paperwork while I took Kylie out back. There were two smallish dogs in the yard and they were together. I want to say they were some kind of miniature border collie? As soon as we entered, they both approached Kylie, one from the front and one from the back, not in a menacing way or anything, and next thing I knew there was a big blurry ball of fur in front of me. I grabbed Kylie by the collar and dragged her to the other side of the park. I don't know who went first, and I stopped it very quickly, but that always makes me nervous. I put her leash back on even though you're not supposed to inside the park.

There was an older couple sitting on a bench with their dog – which looked a little big to be on a bench with them – and they were very nice, so we walked over. As we got close to the bench, their dog started growling at her! I said, "you're not very popular today, missy!" And we continued on our way.

All three other dogs left, Brian entered, and we are back to normal.

I start thinking back to watching the dog whisperer on TV, and I wonder if she's projecting anxiety? I'm very conscious about trying to project calmness. Since the same thing happened the previous morning at the hotel, I'm getting slightly concerned.

We went to Epcot first, and as per tradition, we parked in the farthest possible parking spot and missed the tram by seconds and walked in LOL.

Can you guess which cocktail we picked from this list? (Our first stop at F&G)

Tony the Tigger · Mar 12, 2017

If you guessed, "The Urban Fairy Cocktail," you're right - for all the right reasons - and here are two Urban fairies sharing it:

...and the sign posted next to our table for good measure:

We also shared the pork tenderloin and the watermelon salad. Both very good. I often think things are a little salty, because I don't use much salt - plus I presume this stuff sits out and reduces a bit. Anyway, the flavors were good. Drink was a little sweet. The beer washed it down nicely lol.

Next stop was the new Northern Bloom in Canada, and they had a Maple popcorn shake with Crown Royal Maple whiskey. (!!!) Who are we? The guys with a bottle of Crown Royal Apple in our hotel room, and Brian makes popcorn old-school in a big pot on the stove almost every night (with olive oil btw.)

Now, they way they pour this, the warm Crown is on the bottom of the cup, and the cool shake just sat on top of it - so the first taste with the straw was all warm Crown Maple. Crown Maple is not as thoroughly flavored as the Apple. it was a jolt. It was obviously much better after stirring, but still had a pretty strong alcohol flavor. So, good idea, maybe not so successfully executed. Maybe bigger cup, more shake.

We also had the beef tenderloin tips. Tasty, but a little tricky to eat on the go. I prefer shredded "fall off the bone" style in that situation, so I will hurry to the star of the day - regrettably without a pic - you all must try this:

The UK's Pear-cider brined shredded corned beef with braised cabbage and pears and Branston dressing. (you know I think it's good when I sit here and type out the entire description from the flower and Garden Festival passport I brought home LOL.)

This was delicious and a half! You didn't so much taste "pear" as much as there was just a little sweetness to the dish. The cabbage was finely diced and I wanted more of that. No knife required for the corned beef. All around excellent as a dish in itself, and as it lends itself to festival eating. Loved it. Going back for that in a few weeks.

Looking ahead at the rest of the menus, we weren't all that impressed. Even France looked "meh" but I was thinking about that chicken sandwich from the pastry shop, so we went back there and split one and a cup of water. Brian agreed it's a great sandwich, and at $9 the bargain of the day.
Btw: @brb1006

We now break for:

We decided next stop Germany for a beer flight. On the way, we passed what we thought would be a glimpse of the pointer sisters, but they had just finished and the band was playing an extended outro of "Jump" so all we saw was this:

...and the place was suddenly swamped with all those people scattering!

Tony the Tigger · Mar 12, 2017

The beer flight in Germany was nice, we enjoyed it relaxed on a bench facing the water.

We were thinking about heading over to Magic Kingdom to see wishes, and I started getting cold feet about it. I just thought all the travel time back-and-forth, the crowds, etc. and since we were now pretty sure we're coming back in a few weeks, I'd rather do that one evening we're doing only Magic Kingdom – and let tonight be only Epcot, with minimal hassle.

Of course, I had this epiphany just as we exited spaceship Earth, so it was a long walk back to WS, and B expressed how exhausted he was. I'm glad he did. So I only forced him back to "The Land" and "The Sea" instead of all the way to WS lol.

"The first drag queen."

The idea was solid - take our time and do Nemo, Soarin, and even the little ones we never do like the Lion King boat thing, etc.

The problem was: the Lion King ride was closed, the other ride downstairs was closed, and Soarin had an hour wait (maybe because everything else was closed?) No FP available. We weren't waiting 55 minutes. On to Nemo.

Clamshell selfie.

We spent a good amount of time on a leisurely walk through the aquarium, which B especially likes. No dolphins. Were the dolphins "closed" already, too? Feh.

Trumpfish:

These barely moved:

Awww:

And of course, right back where we started the day, with an oblique gay reference:

So with no more nearby options and a tired husband, I called it early, picked up the pup (got her early enough to qualify for a half-day refund) went back to the room, and I guess I was beat, too, because I was out like a light.

We drove home on Saturday. I had to cover my store for the last few hours, and when I got home, B had this on the kitchen table for me:

And yes, it was better than the festival! Bigger glass, more shake.

Sillysidewalker · Mar 12, 2017

And yes, it was better than the festival! Bigger glass, more shake.[/QUOTE]

That's so sweet. I am going to have to try this. I love everything maple and we to do the EVOO popcorn. It's so good.

Tony the Tigger · Mar 12, 2017

Sillysidewalker said:
And yes, it was better than the festival! Bigger glass, more shake.

That's so sweet. I am going to have to try this. I love everything maple and we to do the EVOO popcorn. It's so good.[/QUOTE]

Gotta get the EVOO big bottles at BJ's and stock up on Orville Redenbacher when it's BOGO LOL.

21stamps · Mar 13, 2017

Ugh.. I'm like 8 trips behind in this report..
I'm going to go backwards now. Starting with your most recent.lol

21stamps · Mar 13, 2017

Tony the Tigger said:
If I remember correctly, at the first booth we got a venison dish that we both enjoyed but none of the drinks looked good or to be a good value.

A lot of the menu items seemed geared more towards desserts or desserty drinks. That does not work with my diabetic husband LOL.

We walked on after that booth and met up with D. We saw the area where they were doing some kind of group painting and wanted to be a part of it. It was basically a paint by number on a huge canvas. You stood in a short line, they explained everything to everyone on line, and then handed you a Disney color with a number on it and a disposable brush. You had to take your color over to the canvas, find your number, and paint up to five squares of your color. They said they expected it to be all done by Saturday night, and when it was done it would look like this:

View attachment 185759

So this was the part we painted:

View attachment 185760

no, the orange is not us! I had the dark blue gray and Brian had the light blue gray. Mine are the straightest squares in the picture LOL. Now I know D took a picture of us doing this and I have to go hunt for it on Facebook.

View attachment 185761

I am in the bright blue T-shirt to the left of the giant pole. (It's a cheap tourist Mickey Mouse T-shirt I had just bought at Walgreens on my walk LOL.) Brian is the giant one in the darker blue shirt a few people to my left, until I called him over and said, "No, let's do all our squares in the same area." LOL.

I'd love to see a picture of the completed work at some point! It was fun to be a part of it.

There were other things to do like taking a picture with yourself as the subject of a famous work of art. We didn't do any of that. We were looking for more food booths! D was right, there weren't too many with food. We skipped a few that didn't sound all that exciting. But the next one was excellent: we got both a pork dish and a scallop dish, and Brian just went to get a regular beer somewhere for each of us. We sat at the picnic tables in America to enjoy those and chitchat. This was the first time Brian met D. She was not eating, which left her mouth free to go on and on about her boyfriend who they recently discovered has asperger's at age 48. That's not as interesting as it sounds after about 20 minutes LOL.

The painting looks fun! I'm loving this so far! ( I picked a random place to REstart. You really do need to update your first post to have page numbers with corresponding visits lol)

MinnieM123 · Mar 13, 2017

I enjoyed the pictures!! Oh, as for Kylie, not to worry. Dogs have their own method of communication with one another. I don't think you were projecting anxiety; I think Kylie was reacting to whatever she was sensing from the other dogs. It's really not all that uncommon. Sometimes dogs immediately like meeting other dogs; sometimes they don't, for reasons only they understand. I don't try to figure it out anymore.

Pre-Trip 2 Broke Guys (now with Table of Contents!)

Tony the Tigger

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Tuvalu

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MySmallWorldof4

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MinnieM123

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